Reference: Mining and Metals
Hastings
Though Palestine proper is deficient in mineral resources, yet these were present to some extent on its borders, and were not only abundantly found, but even largely developed, in other parts of the ancient East. The Scripture references to mining, accordingly, though not very numerous, are sufficiently definite. Such a passage as De 8:9 (cf. De 33:25), though inapplicable to Palestine proper, may hold good of the Lebanon district or (as has been suggested by some) of the Sinaitic region. The classical description of the miner's life in Job 28 is evidently based on observation. It depicts the adventurous and toilsome character of the quest, the shafts sunk and the galleries tunnelled in the rock, the darkness, the waters that have to be drained away, the hidden treasures of precious stones and metals that reward the effort and the ingenuity of man.
The list of metals in Nu 31:22 includes all those that are mentioned in Scripture, viz. gold, silver, 'brass,' iron, tin, and lead. All these are again enumerated in Eze 27:12-13,22 as articles of Tyrian commerce.
Brass.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
The name of the one, is Pishon, - the same, is that which surroundeth all the land of Havilah, where is gold;
And, as for Zillah, she also, bare Tubal-Cain, a sharpener of every cutting instrument of bronze and iron, - and, the sister of Tubal-Cain, was Naamah.
My lord, hear me, - Land worth four hundred shekels of silver - betwixt me and thee, what is that? And thy dead., bur. thou.
to Abraham as a purchase in the eyes of the sons of Heth, - with all who were entering the gate of his city.
So Zipporah took a sharp stone and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it down at his feet, - and said - Surely, a bridegroom by rites of blood, art thou to me!
And the sons of Israel, did according to the word of Moses, - and asked of the Egyptians, articles of silver and articles of gold and mantles.
Thou didst blow with thy wind they were covered by the sea, - They rolled like lead, into the waters so wide. Who is, like unto thee, among the mighty O Yahweh?
And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, within and without, shalt thou overlay it, - and thou shalt make thereon a rim of gold, round about.
And thou shalt make two cherubim of gold, - of beaten work, shalt thou make them, out of the two ends of the propitiatory.
and thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, - and shalt make thereto a rim of gold, round about;
And the boards, shalt thou overlay with gold, and their rings, shalt thou make of gold, as receptacles for the bars, - and thou shalt overlay the liars with gold.
and thou shalt hang it upon four pillars of acacia overlaid with gold, with their hooks of gold, - upon four sockets of silver,
And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold the top thereof, and the sides thereof round about, and the horns thereof,-and thou shalt make to it a border of gold round about.
And he made the lampstand, of pure gold, of beaten work, made he the lampstand, its base and its shafts, its cups, its apples and its blossoms were, of the same;
their apples and their brunches were of the same, all of it one beaten work, of pure gold.
And they did beat out the plates of gold and he proceeded to cut them into threads, to work into the midst of the blue and into the midst of the purple and into the midst of the crimson, and into the midst of the fine linen, - with the work of a skilful weaver.
thus shalt thou separate the Levites out of the midst of the sons of Israel, - thus shall the Levites become mine.
And all the gold of the heave-offering which they offered up unto Yahweh, was - sixteen thousand seven hundred and fifty shekels, - of the princes of thousands, and of the princes of hundreds.
For, only Og, king of Bashan was left remaining of the remnant of the giants, lo! his bedstead, was a bedstead of iron, is not, the same, in Rabbath of the sons of Ammon? nine cubits, the length thereof and four cubits, the breadth thereof, by the fore-arm of a man.
whereas you, hath Yahweh taken, and brought you forth out of a smelting-pot of iron, out of Egypt, - that ye might become his own inherited people as at this day.
a land wherein not in scarcity, shalt thou eat food, thou shalt lack nothing therein, - a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills thou mayest hew copper.
He made him ride on the high places of the land, Caused him to eat the increase of the fields, - And gave him to suck honey out of the cliff, And oil out of the rock of flint:
Iron and bronze, be thy sandals, And, as thy days, be thy strength.
At that time, said Yahweh unto Joshua, Make thee knives of flint, - and again circumcise the sons of Israel, a second time. So Joshua made him knives of flint, - and circumcised the sons of Israel, at the Hill of Foreskins.
When I saw among the spoil a certain goodly mantle of Babylonia and two hundred shekels of silver and a certain wedge of gold - fifty shekels the weight thereof, then I coveted them, then I took them, - and, there they are, hid in the earth, in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it.
And so it was, that the weight of the nose-rings of gold which he requested, was a thousand and seven hundred shekels of gold, - besides the crescents, and the pendants, and the raiment of purple that were upon the kings of Midian, and besides the ornaments that were on the necks of their camels.
Teaching my hands, to war, - so that a bow of bronze was bent by mine arms;
and they came to Ophir, and fetched from thence, gold, four hundred and twenty talents, - and brought it to King Solomon.
Moreover also, the fleet of Hiram, which brought gold from Ophir, brought in, from Ophir sandal-wood in great abundance, and precious stones.
And it came to pass that, the weight of the gold which came in unto Solomon in one year, was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold;
And, all the drinking vessels of King Solomon, were of gold, and, all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon, were of pure gold, - none was of silver, it was accounted in the days of Solomon, as nothing. For, a fleet of Tarshish, had the king, at sea, with the fleet of Hiram, - once in three years, came in the fleet of Tarshish, bringing gold and silver, ivory and apes, and peacocks.
out of the nations concerning whom Yahweh had said unto the sons of Israel - Ye shall not go in unto them, and, they, shall not come in unto you, surely they will turn aside your heart after their gods. Unto these, did Solomon cleave in love.
And, with all my might, have I made preparation for the house of my God, the gold for the gold, and the silver for the silver, and the bronze for the bronze, the iron for the iron, and the wood for the wood, - and beryl stones and settings, stones coloured and particoloured, and all manner of precious stones and stones of white marble, in abundance.
besides what came in from the subjugated, and what the travelling merchants were bringing in, - and, all the kings of Arabia and the pashas of the land, were bringing gold and silver, unto Solomon. And King Solomon made two hundred shields of beaten gold, - six hundred shekels of beaten gold, overlay one shield;
For, the ships of the king, used to go to Tarshish, with the servants of Huram, - once in three years, came in the ships of Tarshish, bearing gold and silver, ivory and apes, and peacocks.
and, bowls of gold, twenty, of a thousand drams, - and, utensils of fine bright bronze, two, precious as gold.
after him, repaired, their brethren, Bavvai son of Henadad, - ruler of the other half-circuit of Keilah;
after him, repaired, Meremoth son of Uriah son of Hakkoz, a second length, - from the opening of the house of Eliashib, even unto the end of the house of Eliashib;
and, between the ascent of the pinnacle and the sheep-gate, repaired, the goldsmiths, and the traders.
That, with a stylus of iron and with lead, for all time - in the rock, they could be graven!
He shall flee from the armour of iron, - There shall pierce him, a bow of bronze!
Upon the flint, hath he thrust forth his hand, He hath turned up mountains by the roots;
Teaching my hands to war, - so that a bow of bronze was bent by mine arms.
For thou didst prove us, O God, Thou didst refine us, according to the refining of silver:
Let him live, then! And be there given unto him of the gold of Sheba, - Let prayer also be offered for him continually, All the day, let him be blessed.
Fining-pot for silver, crucible for gold, but, he that trieth hearts, is Yahweh.
Remove the dross from the silver, and there cometh forth, to the refiner, a vessel:
Fining pot for silver, and crucible for gold, and, a man, is to be tried by what he praiseth.
His legs, pillars of white marble, founded on sockets of gold, - His form, like Lebanon, choice as cedars:
Thy silver, hath become dross, - Thy wine, weakened with water;
That I may turn my hand against thee, And smelt away, as with potash, thy dross, And remove all thine alloy;
That I may turn my hand against thee, And smelt away, as with potash, thy dross, And remove all thine alloy;
Whose arrows, are sharpened, and all his bows, bent, - The hoofs of his horses, like flint, are accounted, And, his wheels, are like a storm-wind:
So, the carver, hath encouraged, the goldsmith, he that maketh smooth with the hammer, him that smiteth the anvil, - Saying of the welding, It is, good, Then hath he fastened it with nails - it must not totter!
I will open, On bare hills rivers, and In the midst of plains, fountains, - I will make The desert, a lake of water, and Parched land, springs of water;
As for the smith, with his cutting-tool, - When he hath wrought in the live coals, And, with hammers, hath fashioned it, - And hath wrought it with his strong arm, Anon he is hungry, and hath no strength, He hath drunk no water and so hath become faint!
To whom can ye liken me or make me equal? Or compare me, and we be like?
Lo! I have refined thee, but not as silver, - I have tested thee, in a smelting-pot of affliction.
Because, My Lord, Yahweh, would help me, Therefore was I not deterred by insult, - Therefore did I set my face like flint, And I knew that I should not be put to shame.
They all, are rebels of rebels, Slander-walkers They are bronze and iron! As for them all, corrupters, they are! Scorched are the bellows, By fire, is lead wont to be, consumed, - In vain, hath he gone on refining, For the wicked, have not been drawn out:
Scorched are the bellows, By fire, is lead wont to be, consumed, - In vain, hath he gone on refining, For the wicked, have not been drawn out: Rejected silver, are they called, For, Yahweh, hath rejected them.
Silver spread into plates, from Tarshish is brought, And gold, from Uphaz, Work for the craftsman and for the hands of the smith, - Blue and purple, is their clothing, Work for the skilled, are they all.
Silver spread into plates, from Tarshish is brought, And gold, from Uphaz, Work for the craftsman and for the hands of the smith, - Blue and purple, is their clothing, Work for the skilled, are they all.
Every son of earth hath become too brutish to discern, Every goldsmith, hath been put to shame by a graven image, - For a falsehood, is his molten image, Seeing there is no breath in them.
which I commanded your fathers - in the day when I brought them forth out of the land of Egypt out of the smelting-pot of iron - saying, Hearken unto my voice and do them, According to all that I may command you, - So shall ye become my people, And, I, will become, your God:
Shall iron crush the iron from the North and the bronze?
Every son of earth had become too brutish to know, - Every goldsmith, hath been put to shame, by a graven image, - For a falsehood, is his molten image Seeing there is no breath in them:
As an adamant harder than flint, have I made thy forehead, - thou shalt not fear them neither shalt thou be dismayed at their faces, For a perverse house, they are!
Son of man, The house of Israel hath become to me, dross, - They all are copper and tin and iron and lead in the midst of a furnace, The dross of silver, have they become.
Son of man, The house of Israel hath become to me, dross, - They all are copper and tin and iron and lead in the midst of a furnace, The dross of silver, have they become.
Son of man, The house of Israel hath become to me, dross, - They all are copper and tin and iron and lead in the midst of a furnace, The dross of silver, have they become. Therefore, Thus, saith My Lord Yahweh, Because ye all are become dross, Therefore, behold me! gathering you into the midst of Jerusalem:
Therefore, Thus, saith My Lord Yahweh, Because ye all are become dross, Therefore, behold me! gathering you into the midst of Jerusalem: As they gather silver and copper and iron and lead and tin into the midst of a furnace, to blow upon it the fire to melt it, So will I gather in mine anger and in mine indignation, and will let b. and will melt you;
As they gather silver and copper and iron and lead and tin into the midst of a furnace, to blow upon it the fire to melt it, So will I gather in mine anger and in mine indignation, and will let b. and will melt you; Yea I will gather you together, and blow upon you, with the fire of my wrath, - And ye shall be melted in the midst thereof:
Yea I will gather you together, and blow upon you, with the fire of my wrath, - And ye shall be melted in the midst thereof: As silver is melted in he midst of a furnace, Sol shall ye be melted in the midst thereof, - Then shall ye know that lit Yahweh have poured out mine indignation upon you.
As silver is melted in he midst of a furnace, Sol shall ye be melted in the midst thereof, - Then shall ye know that lit Yahweh have poured out mine indignation upon you.
Tarshish was a trader of thine. For the abundance of all wealth, - With silver iron. tin and lead, Took they part in thy traffic:
Tarshish was a trader of thine. For the abundance of all wealth, - With silver iron. tin and lead, Took they part in thy traffic:
Tarshish was a trader of thine. For the abundance of all wealth, - With silver iron. tin and lead, Took they part in thy traffic: Javan. Tubal and Meshech, They were merchants of thine, - With the persons of men and vessels of bronze, Shared they in thy barter:
The merchants of Sheba and Raamah, They were merchants of thine, - With the chief of all spices and with every kind of precious stone and gold, Took they part in thy traffic:
Thus, saith Yahweh, Because of three transgressions of Damascus, and because of four, will I not turn it back, - Because, with threshing instruments of iron, they have threshed Gilead.
The shield of his heroes, is made red, the men of war, are clad in crimson, on fire, are the chariot-steels, on the day he maketh ready, - and, the lances, are put in motion.
And lo! a leaden disc uplifted, - and here a certain woman, sitting inside the ephah. Then said he, This, is Lawlessness. So he thrust her back inside the ephah, - and then thrust the leaden weight into the mouth thereof.
And I will bring the third into the fire, and will smelt them as one smelteth silver, and will try them, as one trieth gold, - It, will call upon my name, and, I, will answer it, and will say, My people, it is! and, it, will say, Yahweh, is my God!
Therefore will he sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and will purify the sons of Levi, and will smelt them, as gold and as silver; so shall they belong to Yahweh, offering a gift in righteousness.
For, one Demetrius by name, a silversmith, making silvershrines, of Diana, used to bring unto the craftsmen no little business;
cargo of gold, and silver, and precious stone, and pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and every article of ivory, and every article of wood most precious, and of copper, and of iron, and of marble,